FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A South Florida woman is accused of trafficking two runaway girls for sex in Broward County.
Shanteria Barnes, 30, was taken into custody Dec. 18.
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According to a federal criminal complaint, Barnes met the 11-year-old victim in late July at a Days Inn on Oakland Park Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.
Police said Barnes identified herself as “Pumpkin” and asked the victim to dance for her to see if she knew how.
According to the complaint, the girl danced for Barnes and did a split, which impressed the suspect. Barnes then asked the girl to strip at her aunt’s birthday party for $60 and told her she has sex for money and showed her pictures of people holding wads of cash, the complaint stated.
FBI agents said Barnes arranged what she called “dates” for herself and the girl at hotels and told the victim not to accept less than $40 from the men.
According to the complaint, the victim told detectives she engaged in 15-17 “dates” through August that Barnes had arranged.
Barnes is also accused of trafficking a 15-year-old girl for sex who was also a runaway who lived in a group home.
Detectives said the teen initially denied in engaging in sex acts for money, but later admitted to it in a second interview with investigators.
Authorities said they also discovered online advertisements for commercial sex that were posted from an IP address that came back to Barnes’ home.
FBI agents said Barnes also targeted a third girl, who lived in the same group home as the 15-year-old, telling her once while they were inside a car with two men, “If we get nasty for them, they’ll pay us good.”
Authorities said Barnes tried to kiss the girl, but the girl told her “no.”
Barnes is charged with two counts of sex trafficking a minor.
If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years.